


swallow my heart and flee

by brandywine421



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 20:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve didn't lose everyone when he was in the ice.  He crossed paths with people that would live much longer than him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	swallow my heart and flee

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This began as a silly set of drabbles based around the idea that Steve is Immortal and maybe he ran into other Immortals while he was in the war. And the idea that they might come to visit when he returned. Crossed over with characters in X-Men, Merlin (TV), Highlander (TV), Angel, and Torchwood. There is no canon for anything here, vagueness abounds.
> 
> Immortality scares the shit out of me. This is not a story about that.

**_We pull our boots on with both hands_**  
 ** _but we can't punch ourselves awake and all I can do_**  
 ** _is stand on the curb and say_** _Sorry_  
 _about the blood in your mouth. I wish it was mine._  
  
  
Steve kept his eyes on the game above the bar, his fingers wet from the sweating beer.  He didn't even know who was playing, or when basketball became such a thing (and don't even ask him about Nascar because, right?) but it kept him from looking more out of place that he felt.  
  
The stool scraped sharply as someone sat down beside him.  
  
"My flashbacks aren't usually this tangible," a dusty voice speaks.  
  
Steve turned and recognized the scruffy man from his past.  The war.  "Mine either.  Logan."  
  
"Captain," Logan nodded, motioning for a beer.  "Thought alcohol didn't work on you."  
  
"Doesn't.  Familiar, though," Steve said.  
  
"You're familiar.  I don't have a lot of clear memories, but I definitely remember you," Logan said.  
  
"Took three days for those scratches to heal," Steve said.  Bucky had teased him about it for weeks.  "Worth it."  
  
Logan grinned.  "You got a place?"  
  
"Monitored," Steve replied.  "You?"  
  
"I can get one.  We can catch up."  
  
"Seems I missed more than I thought if you're still around," Steve replied.  He knew Logan was special, hunted by worse groups than HYDRA  
  
"Wish I remembered more of it," Logan grunted.  
  
\---  
  
It was rough and dirty, just like Steve remembered it.  Coarse hair scrubbing against his back as Logan rutted into him, biting down on his shoulder and pumping his dick with rough hands.  He didn't have to worry about hurting Logan and Logan definitely wasn't worried about hurting him.  
  
No kissing, or romance, just fucking.  
  
It was different in a bed and not under a tent in the dirt.  It was different with street sounds in the background instead of gunfire.  
  
"Don't think I'd ever forget you," Logan grunted after the second round.  They were both leaking and sticky and fucking sated.  
  
They weren't the cuddling type and they were still sticky when they dressed and shared a cigar on the cheap motel balcony.  
  
"I don't think I'm going to tell my team that I know Captain America," Logan said.  
  
"Since when do you have a team?" Steve asked.  "You hate following orders."  
  
Logan snorted.  "That hasn't changed."  
  
"You found others like you.  That's great, Logan," Steve realized.  He'd never met a lonelier man.  
  
Logan hummed.  "Different.  But not exactly bad.  They do good things."  
  
"That's nice to hear.  The world needs a lot more help than it used to," Steve said.  "Not sure I like this century, but I'm trying."  
  
"Let me know how I can help.  I don't know much about your team but if you ever need any backup from outside, all you have to do is give me a yell," Logan said.  
  
"Offer goes for you, too.  We used to have a lot of fun busting heads," Steve smiled.  
  
Logan winked.  "Maybe we can find some heads to bust off the clock."  
  
"I'll give you my number," Steve said.  
  
"Until then, want to go again, Soldier?" Logan asked, stubbing out his cigar.  
  
Nobody had come looking for him yet and he followed his friend back into the hotel room.  
  
 _ **You could drown in those eyes, I said,**_  
 _ **so it's summer, so it's suicide,**_  
 _ **so we're helpless in sleep and struggling at the bottom of the pool.**_  
  
The flash of light and smoke stunned his team and the monsters rising from the bay but it only took a moment for the scent of the cloud to trigger his memory.  He pushed himself to his feet and tumbled over a couple of creatures to reach the cloaked stranger.  
  
"Or not stranger," Steve said to himself.  "Merlin?"  
  
Merlin's bright toothy smile was blinding with gold swirling in his eyes.  
  
"Is this one of yours?" Steve asked, ignoring his team's barking questions in his ear.  
  
"Clumsy apprentice, she knows better but accidents happen.  Mind if I bounce this spell off your lovely shield?"  
  
"You just like the way it sounds," Steve said, steadying the shield for Merlin to direct the blast of magic.  
  
Merlin let out a lilting laugh as the magic expanded over the battle and the monsters faded into haze and then nothing.  "I do love the way it makes my magic sing."  
  
The dust settled and Steve lowered his shield.  "You should probably get out of here before my friends try to take you in for tests."  
  
"I don't think I like your friends.  But I'll catch up with you later, Rogers, to be sure," Merlin winked with twinkling blue eyes.  Tony's repulsors fired nearby but Merlin faded into nothing before he landed.  
  
"Who the living fuck was that?" Tony demanded.  "Did he hurt your shield?  What did he do to you?"  
  
"Relax, he's a friend," Steve replied.  
  
"A magical friend?" Clint dropped to the ground nearby.  
  
Steve smiled.  "A good friend."  
  
\---  
  
"So are you still chasing every blond, blue-eyed boy that makes the news?" Steve asked.  
  
Bruce glanced around the empty room and opened his mouth to question when the thin man materialized beside Steve on the couch.  
  
"I grew out of that when David Beckham moved to LA," the man smirked, his blue eyes sparkling as he turned to Bruce.  "Greetings, Dr. Banner.  I'm an old friend of Steven's, Merlin Emrys."  
  
Bruce put his glasses on and tried not to squint.  
  
"How do you know Steve?" Bruce asked politely, expecting a lie considering Steve's shifty look.  
  
"I was a big fan of Steve's USO shows," Merlin grinned, a lazy grace to his lanky limbs as he sank into the couch.  
  
Steve flushed but smiled as he spoke.  "He's lying.  He was smuggling magicians out of occupied Europe using Allied caravans for cover."  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes but didn't deny it.  "We're not magicians, Rogers."  
  
"You don't look old enough to be from the forties," Bruce said.  Surely this kid couldn't be the legendary wizard.  
  
"Did you find him?" Steve asked before Merlin could answer.  
  
"Too late that time to save him.  I found him in the 70's though, it was a blast," Merlin said, avoiding Steve's eyes and meeting Bruce's gaze.  "You and Steve are immortal by genetic design, I'm either cursed or destined to be this way, depending on how you look at it."  
  
"You should hear some of his stories, Bruce - he's amazing," Steve said.  
  
Merlin waggled his fingers and a series of sparks and tiny fireworks burst from his hand.  "He's easily impressed, that's all."  
  
"I have to ask, are you _that_ Merlin?" Bruce asked.  Steve obviously believed it and they'd all seen the stranger's magic at work today.  
  
"The legends are mostly lies, but there's a thread of truth in everything."  He tilted his head at Bruce.  "I've met people with your curse before.  I'm sorry that I can't help with your kind of problems."  
  
"Oh," Bruce replied.  He hadn't considered it as an option.  
  
Merlin smiled sadly.  "You have more control than most of the people I've met like you.  Well, no one's like you, but, there are similarities."  
  
"Like the Hulk?" Steve asked.  Bruce was relieved Steve was friendly enough with the wizard (was he a wizard?  Magician?) to ask.  
  
"I can honestly promise that there's no one like the Hulk in this world," Merlin smiled.  His eyes flickered with sadness and he looked past him as he spoke.  "In my first life, my very first one, I loved a girl named Freya.  She was cursed to turn into a bastet at midnight.  At midnight, she wasn't Freya, she was a monster."  
  
Merlin met Bruce's eyes.  "She didn't have control over the monster, she was cursed to watch helplessly as her monster slaughtered everything in her path.  Your other half is sentient, he has a consciousness, a soul.  He's only a monster if you treat him like one."  
  
"Have you ever found her?" Steve asked.  Reincarnation was an aspect of immortality Bruce didn't consider often but he could see how Steve would be curious.  
  
"She isn't reborn often," Merlin said quietly.  "I see her sometimes, not for centuries, but sometimes.  Whenever I give up the search, she turns up."  
  
"Who are you searching for?" Bruce had a list of growing questions but couldn't hold his tongue.  
  
"Arthur, of course," Merlin smiled.  "Always Arthur."  
  
"What brings you to town, Merlin?" Steve asked.  
  
"Apart from wayward griffins?" Merlin winked before sobering and leaning forward.  "I wanted to apologize.  I didn't know you were trapped, I assumed you were dead."  
  
Steve shrugged.  "You were doing important work, I don't hold it against you.  I assumed I was dead, too."  
  
Merlin nodded.  "Still.  It sucks.  You were the bright spot of that war for me.  When I found Arthur, he was breathing water and blood and sinking, too dead to swim."  
  
Steve put his hand on the man's knee and his eyes cleared.  "I'm sorry."  
  
"He saw me, he knew I was there.  In his last moments, he knew he wasn't alone.  Losing him hurts every time, but I don't grieve the ones when I get to say goodbye.  I'm sorry you were alone," Merlin said to Steve.  
  
"70 years is a blink to you, Merlin," Steve smiled.  
  
"You're still a child," Merlin said under his breath.  Bruce couldn't say he was wrong.  
  
"Can you stay for dinner?  I'll order something," Steve said, ignoring him.  
  
"Should we know more about the griffins?" Bruce asked.  He wanted to talk to Merlin more if this was a one-time visit.  
  
"You guys keep taking care of the aliens and machines and I'll take care of griffins and sorcery emergencies," Merlin said to Bruce with an amiable grin.  "And I'd love to stay for dinner, order something with lots of cholesterol."  
  
Steve rolled his eyes and stepped into the other room for menus.  
  
Merlin leaned forward.  "I'm hoping to tap that tonight, so it would be a nice gesture if you could excuse yourself after dessert."  
  
Bruce bit back a surprised laugh.  That was not what he expected.  "Of course."  
  
Merlin patted his leg fondly.  "Good man.  Remind me to give you my email.  I can't change your condition but I have some potions that may be able to treat some of the symptoms."  
  
"I'm always open for suggestions," Bruce said.  
  
"How's he doing?" Merlin asked.  
  
"We don't really have anything to compare it to, but he seems to be adjusting.  Did you think he was Arthur when you met him?" Bruce asked, wishing he could take notes.  He wondered if JARVIS was recording.  
  
"No, but he had the same eyes.  A hero's eyes," Merlin said.  "I knew he was special, but not magical.  It's important to know the difference.  You don't send a soldier to fight a dragon just like you don't send a warlock to fight a robot.  Alien magic's out of my wheelhouse, too, but Heimdall and I are bros,"  he added, giving him a thumb's up.  "We're in the same World of Warcraft guild."  
  
"Oh, come on!" Bruce laughed.  
  
"We don't really talk about Earth or Asgard as much as we talk about gaming, but Loki's madness is well-known.  My kind of magic doesn't work in defense or offense against Asgardian magic.  Can't kill me, either, we ran some tests," Merlin said absently.  
  
Steve returned and Merlin grinned at him.  "Greasy?"  
  
"It's a surprise, but yes," Steve answered, glancing between them.  "Are you guys getting to know each other?"  
  
"You have interesting friends," Merlin said.  
  
"I was going to say the same," Bruce agreed.  
  
  
 _ **Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us.**_  
  
  
"Captain Rogers.  Honored," Jack grinned, offering his hand.  
  
Steve frowned and met the man's eyes.  "Really?"  
  
Jack laughed and pulled him into a crushing hug despite the tension in the room and the immediately raised weapons.  "Thought you were dead."  
  
"Likewise, Harkness.  You look...healthy," Steve said with an appreciative smirk that Jack returned.  
  
"Rogers, explain," Fury ordered.  
  
"Pushy bunch," Jack grinned.  "Can we talk privately?"  
  
"No," Fury, Tony and the rest answered.  
  
"Sure," Steve grinned.  "Let's take a walk."  
  
"What the actual fuck," Fury muttered as he led Jack into the hallway.  Tony was right, it was fun winding the Director up on occasion.  
  
"Rift problems?" Steve asked when they were out of earshot of the conference room.  
  
"Not alien tech, but manmade.  Opening rifts all over and we need to find the source stat," Jack replied under his breath.  "Want to give an old man a hand, old man?"  
  
"Tech's not really my specialty, can I bring a friend?" Steve asked.  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow.  "A _sexy_ friend?"  
  
"You think everyone's sexy," Steve replied.  
  
"You trust them?" Jack asked.  
  
"I wouldn't offer his services if I didn't."  
  
Jack ran his hand down Steve's arm and smirked.  "You just love winding me up, Stevie."  
  
"Not here, that has to wait until actual privacy," Steve said under his breath.  
  
"Um, not to interrupt, but Fury's having a conniption in there," Tony announced, glaring at Jack suspiciously.  
  
"Tony Stark, this is Captain Jack Harkness," Steve introduced.  He didn't know which one of them he should warn to behave first.  
  
"Steven and I are old friends.  But I like new friends," Jack beamed.  
  
Tony glanced between them, down to Jack's hand on his arm before his eyes went wide.  "You mean - wait, I thought..."  
  
"Jack needs some help with some electronics.  The kind of electronics SHIELD might not need to see," Steve said under his breath.  
  
"Oh," Tony said.  Jack winked at him.  
  
"I should tell Fury something.  Who are you working with these days?" Steve asked.  
  
"I'll take care of it, Stevie, just make sure you've got enough lube around to get us through until your genius can dig us up some answers," Jack said, sauntering back into the office.  
  
"I'm sorry, did he just say 'lube'?" Tony asked, staring after him.  
  
"He's joking, Tony, close your mouth," Steve said.  "One thing about Harkness is that he never ever runs out of lube."  
  
\---  
  
Tony lost himself for a few hours running diagnostics on the weapon and didn't process that Steve and Harkness had left until they returned.  
  
Steve's hair was slightly mussed, as if he'd tried to fix it without actually combing it and there were bruises, undeniable hickies, on both their necks.  
  
His mind boggled.  
  
"Find anything?" Jack asked, invading his personal space to skim the holographic schematics over his shoulder.  
  
"It's a mishmash of parts, tracing the distributors of the pieces won't turn up anything.  It's handmade," Tony said.  "How do you know Steve?"  
  
"I have a longer lifespan than most people.  We fought in the same war," Jack said, slinging an arm over his shoulder and maximizing the individual screens to study the piecemeal of his weapon.  "It's a long dramatic story for another time."  
  
Tony glanced over and saw Steve sprawled out in sleep on the workshop sofa.  
  
"He always nods off after he gets off.  Granted, I've only had a couple of times with him," Jack said easily.  
  
"I didn't know that about him," Tony said.  
  
"Steve's an open-minded kind of guy.  He plays to his strengths and he's pathetic with the ladies," Jack said.  "When your entire existence is top secret, it's easier to pick lovers who know how to keep a secret.  And beyond that, when you're constantly in danger - it's safer to pick people you know can take care of themselves."  
  
"I can take care of myself," Tony muttered.  
  
"Another thing you should know about Steve is that he never makes the first move.  I love when I get a chance to spread my wisdom, pity no one ever listens," Jack said.  
  
"If we had more details about where you found the weapon, what its purpose was, JARVIS could probably..." Tony started.  
  
"JARVIS is here?" Jack perked up.  
  
"How do you know JARVIS?" Tony asked suspiciously.  How much clearance did this guy have?  
  
"Oh, Tony, I could tell you so many stories but let's just say that in the future, Howard's not the Stark that makes it into the universe's history archives," Jack winked.  
  
  
 ** _A man takes his sadness down to the river and throws it in the river_**  
 ** _but then he’s still left_**  
 ** _with the river. A man takes his sadness and throws it away_**  
 ** _but then he’s still left with his hands._**  
  
  
Natasha's body went rigid and Steve knew her well enough by now to look for a threat.  
  
"Sit-rep?" he asked after a long moment.  
  
"I killed that man with his own sword in '89," Natasha said.    
  
Steve cut his eyes to the left and saw a man in a long coat with his hair pulled back in a neat ponytail.  Familiar.  "Huh."  
  
Duncan McLeod turned and met his gaze, flicking his eyes to Natasha before raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Could you try not to kill him this time?  He's a friendly, I think," Steve said after a beat.  
  
"He didn't fight like a friendly," Natasha frowned.  
  
"If my math is correct, you weren't exactly a friendly back then, either," Steve replied, tilting his head in invitation for the Scot to join them.  
  
"Noted.  But I'm not making any promises if he pulls out a sword," Natasha replied after a beat.  
  
"Captain Rogers.  I didn't expect to find you here," Duncan said.  
  
"Glad to see you, McLeod.  You look well," Steve said, sliding over so the man could sit down in the booth.  
  
"Likewise.  And your guest?" Duncan asked, nodding to Natasha.  
  
"Teammate.  I assume you have history?" Steve said carefully.  
  
"Yes," Duncan replied, smiling slightly.  "The Russians did not take kindly to me sniffing around their business deals."  
  
"I thought you survived by staying off the radar, Duncan," Steve replied.  
  
"I keep trying but there always seems to be something requiring my attention.  We've got a rogue picking off the elders.  I'm trying to lure them out so I can finish this, once and for all," Duncan said.  
  
"You think he's in New York?" Steve asked.  Natasha was watching them, her body completely taut.  
  
"Word is you've got the God of Thunder hanging out.  Nice way to hide a rash of Quickenings, yeah?" Duncan suggested.  
  
Natasha sat up, her eyes clearing as she caught on.  "We have a Watcher at SHIELD.  Our task force is based in Bulgaria and I haven't monitored his reports."  
  
"You probably shouldn't be giving information like that to a man you tried to kill," Duncan said.  
  
Natasha smoothed down her hair and relaxed inside her skin.  "Decapitation's not my style.  And you were already going to ask Steve if he had any information or you wouldn't have approached while I was here."  
  
"I always hoped you were making up the whole 'off with your head' bits," Steve admitted.  
  
"I'm out of The Game, but - " Duncan waved his hand dismissively.  "I can't stand by when someone threatens what little peace we've managed to hold."  
  
"What do you need from me?" Steve asked.  
  
"Just your eyes and ears," Duncan replied.  "And maybe a free couch?"  
  
"That I can do," Steve agreed.  
  
"You met in the war?" Natasha questioned.  
  
"We had a similar dislike for Nazis," Duncan said.  
  
"You sure you didn't come for his head?" Natasha countered.  
  
Duncan gave her a quixotic smile that rivaled her trademark smirk.  "That's not how it works.  Captain Rogers had a reputation by the time I met him.  He did the right thing no matter the backlash."  
  
"Someone was killing soldiers, and the lightning made it seem strange even to us.  I thought HYDRA," Steve said.  
  
"You always blamed HYDRA," Duncan said.  He looked back to Natasha.  "Steve had bigger things to worry about."  
  
"I let him handle it.  It was a big risk but he was a good soldier and I trusted him well enough.  He was supposed to let me know when he found the guy," Steve said.  
  
"As I said, you had bigger things to deal with," Duncan said.  "Wasn't your war to fight that day."  
  
\-----  
  
Natasha slid the file across the table and Duncan tucked it under his coat without a word.  He would make a good spy but she assumed that was how he'd survived this long.  Centuries.  
  
"Steve's a good man," Duncan said.  "But he's still too soft for what he's going to have to face."  
  
"Empathic doesn't mean soft," Natasha replied.  
  
"That's not what I mean.  He's lost a lot of friends, but he's only ever watched one of them die with his own eyes.  He's never gotten over Bucky, and he's never going to get over losing one of you," Duncan said.  "It's going to make him a hard man."  
  
"Or it could make him stronger.  Give him more respect for the risks," Natasha replied.  She didn't come here for a lecture on her Captain's sanity.  
  
Duncan nodded unconvincingly.  "Immortals are lonely by design.  Steve's not one of us.  He's not meant for longevity but he's stuck with it.  He fights because he has something to fight for.  He'll need reasons to remember that it's worth it."  
  
"He has us," Natasha replied.  
  
"Good.  Keep it that way.  He's in love."  
  
"What?" she asked immediately.  
  
"Makes things trickier," Duncan said.  "Don't get me wrong, if I didn't have lovers, I wouldn't have any reason to keep fighting.  But as I said, it's different for Steve.  Look after him.  He's a good man and he doesn't deserve what he's going to suffer if he misses another chance at a hero's death."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.  
  
"Because you're willing to listen.  It's only fair you know the stakes," Duncan said.  He patted his jacket where he'd stored the file.  "I'll take care of the rogue.  Hopefully, we'll never meet again."  
  
"Are you going to say goodbye to Steve?" Natasha asked.  
  
"I have a feeling Steve and I will run into each other again," Duncan said.  He bowed his head to her.  "Godspeed, Black Widow."  
  
 _ **The light is no mystery,**_  
 _ **the mystery is that there is something to keep the light**_  
 _ **from passing through.**_  
  
Steve pulled his bike to a stop at the convenience store.  There was plenty of light but he made sure to pick the dimmest corner of the lot.  He turned off the engine and swung his leg over to lean against the seat.  
  
He didn't have to wait long.  The vampire stepped out of the shadows and Steve pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his jacket and shook one out.  
  
"Not Angelus, or Spike, so no thank you.  Damn, Steve," Angel smiled at him with a flash of fangs.  
  
"Glad to see you're still reformed, Angel," Steve said, giving him a man-hug.  "Thought you were a California boy these days."  
  
"I thought I was off the map," Angel replied.  
  
"I work for SHIELD, they have a task force for everything.  What brings you to New York?  Hellmouth?" Steve asked.  
  
"I wish it was that simple.  But I could use some daylight eyes on the place.  It's big and we're working on it, but...it's big," Angel said.  
  
"I'll help if I can but you're going to have to fill me in a little more than last time," Steve said.  
  
"I think I can do that," Angel said.  
  
"I don't want to take you to the Tower, but I'll have more access to intel there." Steve said.  
  
"I don't trust SHIELD but I know you're on the level," Angel replied after a long beat.  
  
Steve snorted.  "I hope so, you already owe me one favor."  
  
"I brought you Swiss chocolates," Angel offered.  
  
Steve did like Swiss chocolate.  "I have to call ahead, our security will ping you as soon as we cross the property line."  
  
Angel nodded.  "This is big.  I wouldn't agree otherwise."  
  
\---  
  
Clint held the vampire in his sight but Steve spotted his hiding place immediately.  "Stand down, Clint.  He's a friendly."  
  
"Vampires are not friendlies," he replied.  
  
"Angel is different.  He has a soul.  He's on our side and he's my friend," Steve said.  
  
The vampire gave a small wave.  
  
"Vamps don't have souls."  
  
"Gypsy curse," the vampire said.  
  
He lowered his bow warily.  "Angelus?"  
  
"How do you know?" Steve asked.  
  
"I was in the circus, met a lot of gypsies," Clint replied.  
  
Angel met his eyes.  "Could use your eyes on this, too, then."  
  
Clint trusted Cap enough to follow the men onto the elevator.  "What's going on?"  
  
"We think it's a cult, but we're not sure.  All signs point to a 'mega-demon' rising on the half-moon," Angel said complete with finger quotes.  "I wanted to see if Steve could pick out patterns we might be missing.  Hellmouths are keeping most of the Slayers busy and something's popping off in Indonesia involving gremlins."  
  
"I met a Slayer once.  She was a badass," Clint said.  "I thought there was only one."  
  
"Shit happens," Angel shrugged.  "We've got about 400 on duty around the world.  There's a hellmouth at the South Pole we still haven't got a handle on."  
  
Steve shivered and Angel patted him on the back.  "Heard about your deep freeze.  My kid trapped me at the bottom of the ocean once, glad to hear you slept through yours."  
  
Steve shivered again but gave Angel a pained smile.  
  
"We don't run into a lot of vampires," Clint said.  
  
"That means our NYC team is doing good work," Angel replied.  "I'm not asking for backup, just information."  
  
"He brought chocolate," Steve said.  
  
"You're too easy, Cap," Clint muttered.  Angel grinned at him.  
  
"Nobody else brings me chocolate," Steve muttered as they stepped out of the elevator.  
  
Clint filed that away for the next time Steve dropped into a brood.  
  
  
 _ **The entire history of human desire takes about seventy minutes to tell.**_  
 _ **Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time.**_  
  
  
"So without sounding like a teenage girl, not that there's anything wrong with teenage girls..."  
  
"Tony."  
  
"Yeah, but how many more of your exes am I going to run into?  You let me meet one and then I find out..."  
  
"I never slept with Duncan."  
  
"..."  
  
"Or Angel, no matter what he says."  
  
"What would he say?"  
  
"Why is this an issue?  I'm going out with you.  I never went out with them.  You have tons of exes if you're counting one night stands."  
  
"Ah, but I'm not on speaking terms with 75% of them and you're aware of my history.  I didn't know you were such a playboy."  
  
"We were at war.  Sometimes we shared close quarters.  Everyone needs a little release."  
  
"I'm not your type, though.  My expiration date's, well, I have one."  
  
"That's not why I had sex with them, Tony.  I don't have a type."  
  
"I think Harkness had sex with Future JARVIS.  You should have heard the way he was flirting with him."  
  
"Tony."  
  
"Steve."  
  
"It's not 1942 anymore.  I get asked out all the time..."  
  
"Wait, what?"  
  
"I'm Captain America.  Come on.  The point is - "  
  
"Is that why it takes you so long to tip the valet?"  
  
"The point is, Tony, I like _you_.  It was casual with them.  If you want that, then I should shower and tiptoe back to my room now."  
  
"No, walk-of-shame's are not happening here, Pepper takes rules seriously.  We're doing this."

"Then stop being a teenage girl about my friends."

"In this century, we don't stay friends with our exes."

"Tony."

"Fine.  Kiss me, Casanova."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title and section breaks belong to Richard Siken.


End file.
